This invention relates to fastening devices for the hinged or pivoted tailgates of trailers, pick-up trucks, and the like; and more particularly to those having a horizontal open position for the tailgate.
As is well known, the so-called tailgate of trailers, trucks, and freight-moving vehicles are customarily hinged to the trailer or truck body at their lower edges for pivoted movement on a horizontal axis from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, and fastening devices which may be in the nature of link chains or pivoted links are provided to anchor the pivoted tailgates in fully closed or rearwardly extended positions.
There are well-known objections to anchoring chains, including the annoying rattle set up by loose or slack portions of the chain, continuous wear on the rattling and swinging-free portions of the anchoring chain, the inability of the common chain anchoring means to draw and hold the tailgate tightly closed, and the fact that the fastening chains are both difficult and slow to manipulate.
Known arrangements with pivoted links for closing tailgates and holding them in the horizontal open position are often quite complex.